Hey KRAVERS! What's up people!

People, remember, you need to eat to fuel yourself during the day and for your workouts! There are many things that work, the thing is, you need to find out what works for YOU! You cannot compare yourself to others becasue heredity plays a HUGE advantage or disadvantage in many! Example, when I gain weight, I always gain it in my core first, then legs, then arms...however someone with a "pear" shape body, will gain it in their legs first and their core last! Too bad we can't tell the fat where to go when we gain it, right? lol! That would ROCK- "Fat, go straight to my boobS!!!!!" hehehe!

I have always gone by the 5-6 mini meals a day, keeps your metabolism working. Jillian Michaels recommends 4 meals a day. Regardless, do what works for you! I like the mini meals to keep me going, especially, on my long work days! Try to hit 85% of your max for 20-30 mins per day, keep ALL food to healthy food (NOT processed! If your food can sit out and not mold, smell, ect after a period of time, it's processed and crap!)! Think about McDonalds! You can keep a burger from McDonalds out for over a YEAR PEOPLE and it doesn't MOVE, looks as if you got it that day! Gross ALL processsed! Regardless, keep your calories coming from fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins, and DON'T FORGET the good fats!!!! Read below for more! I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day! I have muscle I want to KEEP on and NOT shrivvle up! I try to do 2-3 days of lifting, 3-4 days of TOTAL Body work outs, a few jogs here and there and JOG CLUB! woop woop! Mix it up people and have FUN with it!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Jess

My buddy who works at The Gym in Coon Rapids sent this out, wanted to share it with you all (I added a few things too!):

5 Flat Tummy Myths
It's bathing suit season and you want flat abs to flaunt.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people believe. Don't waste your time on these:
Myth #1: Take diet pills to speed results.
I know it's so tempting! The ads make compelling claims about the power of popping a pill, but don't fall for it. There is no ‘magic pill'. Diet pills are more likely to burn through your pocketbook than to slim you down.

• Tip: Don't pop a pill - instead burn calories with intense exercise.

Myth #2: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.
Excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a toned look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your tummy.

• Tip: Don't obsess about crunches - instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #3: Turn to packaged diet products to boost results.
Don't fall for the foods that are packaged as ‘diet' or ‘weight loss' aids. Quite often these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need, and certainly won't help you attain that tight tummy.

• Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods - instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #4: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to achieve tight abs.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while slimming down. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars (see the recipe below for Power Oatmeal).

• Tip: Don't give up all carbohydrates - instead stick with wholesome carbs.

Myth #5: Starve the chub away. Trying to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective it can also be dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

• Tip: Don't starve yourself - instead eat small wholesome meals throughout the day.

Now that you know what not to do in order to achieve tight abs, it's time to go over your flat tummy game plan. Here's what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

• Step One: No more junk.
  The best way to do this is by purging your kitchen. Throw out the sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out, don't buy any more of it. Remember that your beach-ready abs depend on what you eat – don't eat junk!
• Step Two: Eat whole foods.
  Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.
• Step Three: Come train with Jess or KRAVE!
  This is the most obvious step. A trainer allows you to MIX it up and will ALWAYS present a healthy physical challenge for you! The average person withOUT a trainer, burns a lousy 250 calories in the gym! boo! In KRAVE, you burn a MIN of 700! Think about that for negative caloric output! (drums please!)

~Jess~